Annemiek van Vleuten breaks wrist in training crash

Published April 29, 2022 04:53AM

Annemiek van Vleuten has broken her wrist in a training crash in the Netherlands.

Following the crash, the Dutch rider was taken to hospital where she underwent surgery on the injury Thursday, her Movistar team said.

Van Vleuten was training in the Netherlands after returning home to her native country for a short period following her victory at Liège-Bastogne-Liège last week.

“Where I was looking forward to two weeks of super fun chilling at home, that plan fell through,” Van Vleuten wrote on her own website. “Yesterday I was cycling with my former teammate Iris Slappendel. I had a very unfortunate fall, and I caught my entire body weight on my wrist.

“A surgery was necessary, regardless of whether I am a cyclist or not. The fracture is not that complicated, but it is necessary for surgery. I am once again in the hands of Rijnstate and I am happy about that. Fortunately, the people of Rijnstate know very well, but I do know that I am in very good hands.”

Movistar said that the injury would not impact on her biggest goals of the Giro d’Italia Donne and the Tour de France Femmes later this year.

“Movistar Team announces today Friday that its leader Annemiek van Vleuten suffered a fracture in her right wrist after a fall in training this Thursday. The Dutchwoman underwent surgery yesterday evening at the Rijnstate Hospital in Arnhem, in her native country,” the team statement said.

“Although there are no firm deadlines set for Van Vleuten’s recovery, the assessment of the medical team that operated on the Olympic champion after said intervention confirms that her recovery will be full. Annemiek’s plans regarding her participation in the grand tours that she will face in July will also not be compromised by this injury.”

Following a short break from racing, Van Vleuten had been scheduled to return to racing in mid-May with the one-day Gran Premio Ciudad de Eibar on May 8, followed by the Emakumeen Nafarroako Klasikoa and then Itzulia Women and Vuelta a Burgos stage races.

It is still possible that she could recover in time to race at least part of the set of Spanish races she was due to ride, but they have been removed from her calendar for the time being.

“I was going to race the Spanish bloc. I have to get that off my calendar. In terms of recovery, it does have good prospects. It is only very annoying for me that I wanted to enjoy myself and that I am now on the sidelines because of something so unfortunate. It will be fine again, and I am confident that they will also think along in Rijnstate, so that I do not fall behind in training.”

“The management of the Movistar Team, in order to put the health of its rider ahead of any sporting objective, leaves aside for the moment any planning for her return to competition,” Movistar said. “For this reason, the races in which Van Vleuten had scheduled in our country this coming May (Clásicas de Navarra, Itzulia Women and Vuelta a Burgos) are for the time being left out of her calendar. “